Newly reviewed records have revealed that a non-profit organisation linked to prominent supporters of President Donald Trump provided funding to a group that ran controversial advertisements ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, suggesting local officials had the authority to refuse election certification.
The advertisements appeared in several battleground states and implied that election certification was optional for local officials. However, election laws require certification once legal disputes and official challenges have been resolved.
Documents show that the Foundation for Accountability, Integrity and Research in Elections Fund (FAIR Fund) provided financial support to the American Principles Project Foundation, which sponsored the campaign. Tax filings indicate the FAIR Fund transferred $300,000 to the organisation between July 2024 and June 2025.
The FAIR Fund is associated with election-related activists Cleta Mitchell and Heather Honey. Mitchell is a longtime Trump ally who was involved in efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election outcome, while Honey has drawn criticism for promoting disputed analyses of election data before joining the Department of Homeland Security in an elections-related position.
The advertisements carried the branding of a group known as Follow the Law but included disclaimers identifying the American Principles Project Foundation as the sponsor. The campaign also reportedly sent correspondence to election officials encouraging them not to act as “rubber-stamps” during the certification process.
Critics argue the funding highlights a broader network of organisations working to challenge public confidence in election administration.
“Cleta Mitchell and Heather Honey are not only leading figures in the election denial movement, they are also helping channel millions of dollars to an ecosystem of groups that seek to undermine the freedom to vote and mainstream fringe election claims,” said Brendan Fischer, director of strategic investigations at Campaign Legal Center.
“These grants are important not only for what they fund individually, but for the broader election denial infrastructure they help build.”
Records further show the FAIR Fund distributed nearly $1.9 million to the Article III Foundation, a group linked to Trump ally Mike Davis. The organisation reportedly sponsored Spanish-language advertisements warning that voting by non-citizens is illegal and could result in deportation.
Another $285,000 was directed to Urban Legend Media, a company that connects organisations with online influencers. The funding was reportedly tied to efforts promoting the Save Act, proposed legislation that sought stricter voter eligibility requirements but ultimately failed to pass Congress.
The FAIR Fund also provided $200,000 to the Election Research Institute, an organisation previously led by Honey. Additional payments totaling nearly $200,000 were reportedly made to Verity Vote, another group connected to her.
Since its formation in 2023, the FAIR Fund has raised more than $7.7 million. Financial disclosures suggest much of that funding came from the Conservative Partnership Institute, a conservative organisation that supports initiatives aligned with Trump’s political agenda. The institute reportedly contributed more than $6 million to the FAIR Fund in 2024 alone.
Michael McNulty, policy director at Issue One, said the funding network reflects a coordinated effort to promote claims of election fraud.
“We still see a massive ecosystem built around producing and spreading and pushing false, baseless, tired, debunked conspiracy theories about election fraud,” he said.
“It fits perfectly into what we’ve kind of called the ‘election takeover playbook’ that Trump has. The first step [is] just like being able to massively spread these false conspiracy theories about election fraud.”
He added: “What seems to be a large ecosystem, then when you start connecting the dots, a lot of the same people and same groups are involved. And the same funders are involved.”
